The New York Yankees have been dealing with a major blow to their starting rotation since the spring. They lost Gerrit Cole for the entire season due to a torn UCL, but others, such as Carlos Rodon and Max Fried, have stepped up in his absence.
Rodon recently offered an honest take on the challenge of helping to lead a rotation that has been without a player such as Cole, who’s been a workhorse for the entirety of his tenure in New York.
“For five, six years straight, Gerrit made every start in the regular season and in the postseason,” Rodon told SNY following a 5-3 win over the Chicago White Sox. “Those were big shoes to fill, but it's going to be nice when we have him back.”
Rodon picked up his 18th win of the season in his latest start against Chicago. In what was likely his final start of the regular season, the 32-year-old tossed six innings and surrendered only three runs and four hits while striking out five batters in the process.
Rodon has been a consistent force in 2025. He finished the campaign with an 18-9 record and a 3.09 ERA in 33 starts. The southpaw also went 7-2 with a 2.52 ERA across his final 10 outings.
“It’s kind of hard to think about now, because we’ve got some pretty important games coming up, but it was good,” Rodón told MLB.com. “I’m just glad I was able to go out there and post every five or six days, compete and try to win every game.”
The Yankees own the top American League Wild Card spot with a 91-68 record, and have already clinched an October berth. They are in a heated race with the Toronto Blue Jays for the American League crown and could still possibly take the division.
